The questions below allow the language learner to have handy access to the most useful expressions for

survival in a foreign situation. The questions are grouped according to their meaning and context.

Learning Serbian/English by asking questions

English
Do you speak Serbian? Do you speak English? What language do you speak? How are you? Whats up? Whats new? What are you doing? Whats your name? Whats your name? And whats your name? Where are you from? Where do you live? Do you like Belgrade? Do you like Belgrade? How old are you? [yes, we do ask this!] How old are you? Are you married? Are you married? Do you have children?

Greetings/Meeting people Serbian Possible answers

Da li govorite srpski? Da li govorite engleski? Koji jezik govorite? Kako ste? (formal) Kako si? (informal) Kako ide? ta ima novo? loose ta radite? Kako se zovete? (formal) Kako je Vae ime? (formal) A kako se ti zove? (informal) Odakle ste? Gde ivite? Da li volite Beograd? [first way to ask] Da li vam se svidja Beograd? [second way to ask] Koliko imate godina? Koliko ste stari? Da li ste udati? [asking a female] Da li ste oenjeni? [asking a male] Da li imate dece? Ne. Ali hou da nauim srpski. (No. But I want to learn Serbian.) Da, pomalo. (Yes, a little bit.) Govorim panski. (I speak Spanish.) Dobro sam, hvala. (Im good, thanks.) Dobro. (Good) Nema nita. (Nothing new.) Nita naroito. (Nothing special.) Zovem se Jolanda. (My name is Yolanda.) Moje ime je Mirjana. (My name is Miryana.) Zovem se Jovan. (My name John.) Ja sam iz Amerike. (I am from America.) ivim u Teksasu. (I live in Texas.) Da, volim Beograd. (Yes, I like Belgrade.) Da, svidja mi se Beograd. (Yes, I like Belgrade.) Imam dvedeset dve godine. (I am 22 years old.) ta mislite? (What do you think?) Da, jesam. (Yes, I am.) Ne, nisam jo. (No, not yet.) Imam dvoje dece. (I have two children.) Rekao sam da nisam oenjen. (I told you I am not married.) [for a male]

And how many children do A koliko Vi imate dece? you have?

Asking what the person is doing (professionally) English Serbian Possible answers
What do you do? Whats your profession? Whats your field? Whats your occupation? Do you work? And what do you do? Where do you work? And you? Are you a student? Arent you a professor? Where do you study? Is that a good university? ime se bavite? Koja je vaa profesija? Koja je vaa struka? Koje je vae zanimanje? Da li radite? A ta vi radite? Gde radite? A ti? Da li si ti student? (informal) A zar niste profesor? Gde studirate? Da li je to dobar univerzitet? Bavim se prodajom kua. (I sell houses.) Ja sam inenjer. (Im an engineer.) Ja sam ekonomista. (Im an economist.) Ja sam advokat. (Im a lawyer.) Da, ja sam prodavaica. (Yes, I am a saleswoman.) Ja isto radim kao trgovac. (I also work as a salesperson.) Radim u samoposluzi. (I work in the supermarket) Da, samo student. (Yes, only a student.) Ne, nisam jo. (No, not yet.) Na univezitetu u Teksasu. (At a university in Texas.) Najbolji. (The best.)

Larisa Zlatic

Larisa Zlatic Language Services www.serbiantranslator.com

Asking about place and time (for orientation/travel) English Serbian Possible answers
Wheres the police station? Wheres the bus station? Wheres the post-office? Wheres Karadjordjeva street? Wheres a pharmacy? Wheres the bank? And where is the restroom? Can I use the phone? Where are you going? Are you a tourist? Where are you traveling? Why are you going to Montenegro? Gde je policijska stanica? Gde je autobuska stanica? Gde se nalazi pota? Gde je Karadjordjeva ulica? Gde je apoteka? Gde se nalazi banka? A gde je ve-ce? Da li mogu da telefoniram? Gde idete? Da li ste vi turista? Gde putujete? Zato idete u Crnu Goru? Ona je ovde. (Its here.) Ona je tamo. (Its over there.) Pota je pravo. (The station is straight.) Ona je pored autobuske stanice. (It is next to the bus station.) Apoteka je preko puta ulice. (The pharmacy is across the street.) Ona je iza ugla. (Its behind the corner.) On je iza ugla. (Its around the corner.) Da, samo izvolite. (Yes, go ahead.) Idem u pekaru. (Im going to the bakery.) Da, jesam. (Yes, I am.) Putujem u Crnu Goru. (Im traveling to Montenegro.) Volim Jadransko more. (I love the Adriatic Sea.) Zato to imam deka u Teksasu. (Because I have a boyfriend in Texas.) Polazim veeras. (Im leaving this evening.) Polazi u deset sati. (It leaves at ten oclock.) U jednom pravcu kota hiljadu dinara. (In one direction, it costs a 1,000 dinars.) Kota hiljadu petsto dinara. (It cost 1,500 dinars.) Putuje se deset sati. (It takes ten hours.) Stii u u sedam ujutru. (Ill arrive at seven in the morning.) Sada je osam sati. (Its eight oclock now.) Ima osam sati. (Its ten oclock.)
Larisa Zlatic Language Services www.serbiantranslator.com

And you, why do you want to A zato Vi hoete da go to Texas? idete u Teksas? When are you leaving for Montenegro? What time does the train for Bar leave? Kada polazite za Crnu Goru? Kada polazi voz za Bar?

How much is the fare to Bar? Koliko kota karta do Bara?

How much is the return ticket? Koliko kota povratna karta? How long does it take to get there? What time will you arrive there? What time is it now? What time is it?
Larisa Zlatic

Koliko se putuje do tamo? U koliko sati ete stii tamo? Koliko je sada sati? [one way to say it] Koliko ima sati? [another way to say it]

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What day is today? What date is it? What month is it? Whats your phone number? Whats your address? What street do you live on? Koji je danas dan. Koj je datum? Koji je mesec? Koji je va broj telefona? Koja vam je adresa? U kojoj ulici ivite? Danas je utorak. (Today is Tuesday.) Danas je osamnaesti. (Today is the eighteenth.) Avgust. (August) Moj broj je (my number is) Moja adesa je (my address is) ivim u Knez Mihailovoj ulici. To je u centru Beograda. (I live in Knez Mihailova street. Thats in the downtown Belgrade.) Svakako. Moete i na kafu. (Sure. You can stop by for coffee too.)

Could I use your bathroom, then?

Mogu li onda da idem u Va ve-ce?

English
Whats this? And whats that?

Identifying something/someone Serbian Possible answers

ta je ovo? A ta je to? Ovo je moja knjiga. (This is my book) To je moj renik. (Thats my dictionary.) Kae se hvala. (Its called hvala.) Zove se Vasina torta. (Its called Vasas cake.) Kae se Beograd. (Its pronounced Beograd.) To je moj mu. (This is my husband.) Ovo je moja erka. (This is my daughter) Vidim onu lepu enu. (I see that beautiful woman.) Gledam u onog oveka. (I am looking at that man.)

How do you say thank you in Kako se kae thank you na Serbian? srpskom? Hows this cake called? How do you say Belgrade? Who is that? And whos this? Who do you see over there? Who are you looking at? Kako se zove ovaj kola? Kako se kae Belgrade? Ko je to? A ko je ovo? Koga tamo vidite ? U koga gledate?

Larisa Zlatic

Larisa Zlatic Language Services www.serbiantranslator.com

English
Can I have something to eat? What would you like to eat? Are you hungry too? Can I have something to drink? What would you like to drink? Can we have breakfast? Do you like burek? Do you like cheese? Does burek have cheese in it? What will we have for lunch?

Asking for food/drink Serbian Possible answers

Da li mogu neto da pojedem? ta biste eleli da jedete? A da li ste Vi gladni? Da li mogu neto da popijem? ta biste eleli da popijete? Moemo li da dorukujemo? Da li volite burek? Da li volite sir? Da li u bureku ima sir? ta emo da ruamo? Svakako. (Sure.) Bilo ta. (Anything.) Gladan sam kao vuk. (Im hungry as a wolf.) Da, samo recite. (Yes, just tell me what.) Moe hladno pivo. (Cold beer.) Idemo u pekaru da kupimo burek. (Lets go to the bakery to buy burek. Ne znam. Nikad nisam probao. (I dont know. I never tried it.) Volim mladi sir. (I like farmers cheese.) Da. Sigurno e vam se svideti. (Yes. Youll certainly like it.) Pljeskavice s kajmakom. Na srpski nain. (Hamburgers with cream cheese. The Serbian style.)

Larisa Zlatic

Larisa Zlatic Language Services www.serbiantranslator.com

English
Do you have a boyfriend? And you? Do you have a girlfriend? Do you want to go to a movie with me? Do you want to go to a caf after the movie? Shall we go to my place? Do you love me? Do you like me? Why dont you sleep at my place? Do you want to marry me?

Asking for a date/proposing Serbian Possible answers

Da li ima deka? A ti? Da li ima devojku? Da li hoe da ide u bioiskop sa mnom? Hoe li da ide u kafi posle filma? Hoemo li kod mene? Da li me voli? Da li ti se sviam? Zato ne spava kod mene? Da li hoes da se uda za mene? [a guy is asking] Da li hoes da se oeni mnome? [a woman is asking] Gde emo ii na medeni mesec? Ne. A zato pita? (No. And why do you ask?) Trenutno ne. (Presently, no.) Vai. (Okay.) Moram prvo da pitam roditelje. (I have to ask my parents first.) Pa, ne bih. Kasno je. (Well, I wouldnt. Its late.) Pa, volim te. A ti mene? (Well, I love you. And you?) Jako mi se svia. (I like you a lot.) Ne mogu veeras. Moda sutra. (I cant tonight. Maybe tomorrow.) Mislim da, ali rei u ti sutra sigurno. (I think yes, but Ill tell you for certain tomorrow.) Da, ali ne odmah. Zato uri? (Yes, but not immediately. Why are you in a hurry?) Ne znam. Moda u Ameriku. Ima li para? (I dont know. Maybe to America. Do you have money?) Da. Super. Idemo li na Havaje? (Yes. Super. Are we going to Hawaii?)

Do you want to marry me?

Where shall we go for our honey moon?

Do you want to get married?

Da li hoe da se uzmemo? Da li hoe da se venamo?

Larisa Zlatic

Larisa Zlatic Language Services www.serbiantranslator.com

Asking about what a person is doing and why English Serbian Possible answers
What do you have? ta imate? Imam lepu kuu i pametnu enu. (I have a nice house and a smart wife. ) itam knjigu. (I am reading a book.) itam novine. (I am reading the newspaper) Idem u bioskop. (Im going to a movie) Idem u Ameriku za mesec dana. (Im going to America in a month.) Idem da studiram. (I am going to study.) Da, ali ne mogu Vam rei. (Yes, but I cant tell you.)

What are you doing? What are you reading?

ta radite? ta itate?

Where are you going? When are you going to America? Why are you going to America? Is there any other reason?

Gde idete? Kada putujete u Ameriku?

Zato idete u Ameriku? Ima li jo koji razlog?

English
Is it raining? Is it snowing? Is it cold outside? Is there any frost? Do you like winter? Whats the weather like in Texas now? Is it windy in Texas?

Asking about the weather Serbian Possible answers

Da li pada kia? Da li pada sneg? Da li je hladno napolju? Ima li mraza? Da li volite zimu? Kako je vreme sada u Teksasu? Da li je vetrovito u Teksasu? Ne, ne pada kia. (No, its not raining.) Pomalo. (Little.) Nije hladno. Ledeno je. (Its not cold. Its freezing.) Pogledajte kroz prozor. (See through the window.) Ne podnosim hladnocu. Volim leto. (I cant stand cold. I like summer.) Toplo. Ba kao to volite. (Warm. Just what you like.) Ne mnogo. Ali leti imamo tornada. (Not much. But in the summer we tornados.) Zimi je jako hladno a leti jako vrue. (Winters are cold and summers are hot.) Uvek vrue. (Always hot.) Svakako, ako dobijete vizu. (Sure, if you get a visa.)
Larisa Zlatic Language Services www.serbiantranslator.com

Whats the weather like in Serbia?

Kako je vreme u Srbiji?

Whats the climate like in Texas? Could I come with you to Texas?

Kakva je klima u Teksasu? Mogu li poi s vama u Teksas?

Larisa Zlatic